Facing a Forest of Shadows
by Wikidclown
Summary: Ever since the disastrous battle between BreezeClan and IceClan, the forest had been at peace. But a land grown on the blood of slain Clan cats will eventually thirst for more. An illness unlike any that has been seen before will take hold of the Clan cats. And it seems that the only way they will survive, is to travel far away into unknown territory...
1. Allegiances & Prologue

ALLEGIANCES

ICECLAN

Leader

(In charge of the clan and the territory they live in)

Blizzardstar- a medium furred all white tom with blue eyes.

Deputy

(Helps the leader with decisions; organizes patrols and helps keep the clan busy)

Hailstorm- a black and silver tom with blue eyes.

Medicine Cat

(Heals the clan and interprets the will of Starclan)

Brokensong- a brown and black spotted she-cat with one green eye. The other is missing, ripped from its socket when she was an apprentice.

Warriors

(Cats who protect and defend the clan; in charge of hunting and patrolling the territory)

Sootsplash- a white tom with splotches of black, has green eyes.

Quietstorm- a white and black splotched she-cat with blue eyes.

Aspenclaw- a slim but still toned brown and white tom with green eyes.

Foxstreak- an orange tabby she-cat with green eyes.

Elkleap- a large and powerful brown and black tom with yellow eyes. (Apprentice: Shimmerpaw)

Meadowshine- a shy tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes.

Ashcloud- a gray tom with red tinted eyes.

Weaseltail- an all brown tom with yellow eyes. (Apprentice: Lionpaw)

Appleleaf- a cream and brown striped she-cat with yellow eyes.

Sweetmind- a small framed calico she-cat with green eyes.

Pineheart- a tufty all black tom with green eyes.

Frostfeather- a sleek furred all white she-cat with green eyes.

Smallfire- a orange and white mottled tom with yellow eyes.

Apprentices

(Cats older than 6 moons; training to become warriors)

Shimmerpaw- a dusky gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Lionpaw- a russet orange and gray spotted she-cat with green eyes.

Elders

(Retired warriors; too old or frail to hunt and fight)

Redfern- a thin furred orange she-cat with green eyes.

Willowleaf- a long furred cream she-cat with hazy green eyes.

Nightvolt- a gray tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Wildflight- a very skinny brown she-cat with green eyes.

 **PROLOGUE**

A small group of cats sat, huddled at the bank of a rounded pond. They looked around at each other with apprehension. Surely they had not gathered to exchange good news. The largest of the group, a powerful gray tom, stood to speak.

"But I thought the forest wanted peace! Now you're saying that it will..." Stormsurge's voice trailed off. A similar gray she-cat, named Quickwater, stood a few paces away to answer him.

"Stormsurge, I know you must be confused. We are all confused. But the forest must keep its balance," the gray she-cat warned. She cast her gaze over the others who had assembled and knew that each one was equally disturbed by this news.

"I can see it," an orange and brown she-cat named Lilybloom muttered as she leaned forward to peer into the water. A calico, Spottedrose, sat at her side and stretched her delicate nose forward to stare deeper into its depths.

"What Quickwater says about the forest keeping its balance is true. The trees have fed on the blood of our Clanmates for many generations. Now that its supply has run dry, it will thirst for more," the orange and brown mottled she-cat muttered.

Spottedrose continued to stare into the water. Perhaps she hoped to find an answer in its murky depths. Quickwater dipped her head and turned to whisper something to the cat that sat next to her.

As the group whispered amongst themselves, a vision began to unfold within the ripples in the pond. The hazy figures of cats cowered in the center of the pool, their eyes darted back and forth, their pelts spiked with fear. A furious white storm of snowflakes circled the apparitions, thick enough to shield them from the shadows near the banks of the pond.

The StarClan cats had grown silent, mesmerized by the vision on the face of the water. Time felt suspended as the foggy figures remained behind the comforting wall of white, feathery flakes. Suddenly, the bushes behind the StarClan cats parted and a chestnut brown tabby burst into the open.

He bolted over to the edge of the group and started to push his way through. "I'm not late, am I?" he asked in a rush as he came to stand with the other cats. Small curls of black fog caressed his paws and stretched down to brush the face of the pool.

"It seems you have just barely made it, Mudstar," Lilybloom replied as she stood beside the water. Stormsurge growled from his spot beside the bank, his eyes narrowed as he watched Mudstar.

"How do we know this omen didn't come from the Place of No Stars? I don't see why Mudstar needs to be here," Stormsurge hissed. A few of the other cats huffed in agreement.

Spottedrose pushed through the crowd to Mudstar's side. She raised her tail for silence as she looked at the brown tabby with kind, gentle eyes.

"We can not judge the Dark Forest warriors for their mistakes," she meowed with a glance towards Stormsurge, "Some of them were only following their way of life. They still care for our Clanmates that live in the snow covered territories," she meowed loudly in the hopes that they could all hear her over the brewing storm.

Mudstar bowed his head, "thank you, Spottedrose. Now that StarClan has finally assembled, I feel more at ease."

Spottedrose bent her tail to rest across his back and turned to rest her eyes upon the vision once more. The other StarClan cats had grown quiet, their attention fixed back on the luminous water.

The white storm that surrounded the figures had started to fade. A few of the older StarClan ancients bent together to interpret its meaning. As the white barrier faded, the shadows at the banks of the pond began to surge towards the hazy figures that had been hidden behind it.

The curled shadows flicked forward to touch the frightened figures in the center of the water. One by one, the cat-like blurs distorted and changed forms. Some of them turned to lash out at the figures beside them.

"This looks bad," Mudstar murmured. Spottedrose watched in horror as the figures started to dissolve. Most of the cats turned to speak with their companions closest to them, their voices tinged with dismay.

"What does this mean?"

"Will this be the end of IceClan?"

"How long do we have to warn our Clanmates?"

Lilybloom yowled as she attempted to quiet the clamor around her. "Nothing will be figured out by you all cackling like foxes! We must warn our Clanmates immediately; but warning them of this threat before we've discussed it will only make them afraid."

"What do you think this means Lilybloom?" Spottedrose asked. The she-cat shrugged, she really had no idea.

"Then maybe we should wait, and hope for a clearer sign," Quickwater decided.

"Yes, that is what we will do. If everyone else is satisfied, we shall speak again after we have gathered more information," Lilybloom announced. All of the StarClan cats bowed their heads in agreement before they turned to disappear into the star-studded forest. Mudstar nudged Spottedrose with his muzzle before he turned to leave.

"I'm sure Frostfeather and Pineheart will be alright," Mudstar murmured

"But what about Blizzardstar?" Spottedrose begged.

Mudstar chuckled, "What about Blizzardstar? He can take care of himself."

Spottedrose nodded but still wasn't entirely convinced. She mewed a small farewell as Mudstar trotted back through the black misted trees at the far end of the clearing. This first omen for the StarClan cats would not be easy to decipher, but the survival of IceClan would depend on it.


	2. Chapter One

The morning began with frigid temperatures, a normal occurrence for the IceClan cats. The wind echoed through the pine trees like a mournful howl. A white muzzle poked out of the safety of a large, rounded bush. The delicate, pink nose twitched as the cat took a few, quick sniffs.

Then the sleek cat leaped out of the of the bush. Her short, white fur seemed to sparkle in the light of dawn. "Why do we always have to get up so early?" a grumpy voice complained from behind the branches.

"If you went to sleep at a reasonable time, you wouldn't be so tired," Frostfeather scolded as she turned to look back at her companion. A muscular, black tom stepped out from the den, his eyes blurry with sleep.

"But Hailstorm hasn't even gotten up yet! He's the one who organizes the patrols," Pineheart growled. Frostfeather snorted with laughter and flicked her tail over his nose.

"That old badger would sleep until sunhigh if we let him! Besides, we are just getting a little hunting in before all the other patrols crowd the forest," she insisted.

The white she-cat bounded forward and let out a loud trill in delight. Pineheart huffed and padded after her. As she shot passed a hollow tree trunk, a similar white pelted cat emerged from its depths.

"Where are you two going so early?" Blizzardstar demanded. Pineheart sauntered up to stand next to Frostfeather. "She wanted to go hunting," he muttered.

The other cat stepped further from the shadows of the tree trunk and came to stand before the two warriors. His pelt was snowy white, and he looked very similar to the she-cat that stood before him. "Maybe this morning isn't such a good time to go out. If you and Pineheart need something to do, the elders could always use some company," he meowed, his gaze stern as he looked at Frostfeather.

"But it's a perfect morning to go hunting," Frostfeather groaned, ready to defend her right to leave the camp.

"Well, it's Hailstorm's duty to organize the patrols. You'll have to wait for him to wake up and see if he assigns you to a hunting patrol," the white tom ordered.

Frostfeather glared at him, her green eyes blazed in frustration. "Come on, lets go visit with the elders," Pineheart offered, trying to avoid the inevitable argument. Frostfeather flicked her tail in irritation and reluctantly turned to follow him.

"I don't know why you always try and do stuff without telling Blizzardstar," Pineheart grunted as Frostfeather caught up to him.

"Well we can take care of ourselves, can't we? Besides, it was just going hunting. It's not like we were going to fight foxes," Frostfether hissed.

The pair quickly approached the low hanging branches of the pine tree where the elders made their den. As they ducked their heads and squeezed underneath, they came face to face with a wiry, brown she-cat.

"Oh, Wildflight! Were you just leaving?" Frostfeather asked in surprise. It looked as if the other elders just started to stir in their nests.

"I was going to go visit the dirt place," she remarked. "Did you two need something?"

Pineheart pushed forward to stand under the branches of the pine tree. "Hailstorm isn't awake yet to organize the patrols, so we decided to come and say hello," he explained tactfully.

"Well go away! It's too early to be bothering us," a gray tabby hissed from near the trunk of the tree.

"Don't you mind Nightvolt. He's always grumpy," Wildflight interjected, "I'll only be a moment and then we can have a chat."

She tottered away on uneven steps towards the dirt place. "Don't try chatting with me," Nightvolt grumbled as he curled into a tighter ball in his nest.

"You two can come sit with me," the skinny orange she-cat named Redfern meowed softly from her nest near the rear of the leafy branches. Pineheart eagerly accepted her invitation and squeezed passed Nightvolt to come and sit beside the elder.

"I don't understand why he has to be so grumpy! The elders get taken better care of than anyone else in the Clan," Frostfeather grumbled as she huddled close to Redfern's side.

"He is just too nostalgic of the times when the two Clans were at war. I know you've heard the story a million times," Redfern stated.

Oh yes, Frostfeather could remember the story well. The battle where BreezeClan and IceClan clashed. It caused numerous deaths and great misfortune for both Clans. In the battle, her mother Spottedrose was killed by the crazed Oakstar.

She knew that everyone always said that Oakstar was Spottedrose's father, which made him kin to Frostfeather and Pineheart; but she just couldn't imagine a father would kill his only kit. She couldn't even fathom the thought that Blizzardstar would ever want to hurt her, or Pineheart.

"Yeah, the forest needs a good blood bath," Nightvolt snickered sinisterly from the depths of his nest.

Redfern cast him an angry glare, "that's enough of that! If Blizzardstar hears of you trying to cause trouble he will drive you out of IceClan," she growled.

Frostfeather stiffened in shock. Would Blizzardstar really do that? "Let him drive me out! I don't care," Nightvolt snapped. Angrily, he shuffled onto his paws and started to leave the den.

"I don't think Blizzardstar would really drive him out," Pineheart insisted. Redfern just snorted and watched the edge of the pine tree where Nightvolt had ducked and exited.

As if on cue, Wildflight padded back underneath the hanging branches. "I just saw Nightvolt leaving camp. What happened?" she asked as she came to sit in her nest.

"He was just ranting about battle again. I told him if Blizzardstar caught wind of his chatter, that he would banish him from the Clan," Redfern explained.

"We certainly don't need any battle, not after it's been peaceful for so long," Wildflight muttered. Frostfeather looked at the elder with concern. It seemed like even the mention of violence sapped her energy.

"Maybe you two should go. I think I saw Hailstorm organizing the patrols," Wildflight informed them.

Frostfeather purred, "Finally!"

As the white she-cat bounded from the den, Pineheart stood to follow her. Before he slid under the spiky pine needles of the den, he turned back to look at Wildflight again.

"Was Blizzardstar really as great as everyone says he was?" he inquired. Wildflight stifled a laugh, her tail tip twitched.

"Blizzardstar is still great," she purred, "he may have lost some of his energy but I think that was only from raising you two kits!"

Pineheart twirled his tail, "thanks Wildflight," he beamed as he slid under the branches of the pine tree. He trotted over to his sister, who had sat next to Hailstorm as he named the patrols for the morning.

"Awake early as usual," he muttered as Pineheart neared. Frostfeather rolled her eyes as he continued. "Weaseltail, you will lead a border patrol with Pineheart and you might as well take Lionpaw with you."

The russet furred apprentice bounded up to Pineheart, her green eyes shined with boundless energy. Weaseltail was close behind, his brown fur still ruffled with sleep. Pineheart glanced up at the sky, to see that the sun was only barely visible between the trees.

"It's still early, I'm sure nothing too exciting will be going on," Weaseltail teased his apprentice. It didn't seem to dampen her spirits at all. As the brown tom turned to lead the way from camp, Pineheart looked towards his father's den in the cleft of the tree.

It almost seemed like he could see Blizzardstar's crystalline blue eyes stare back at him, but he couldn't be quite sure. In the back of his mind, he truly wondered if Blizzardstar really was as great a leader as he used to be.


	3. Chapter Two

Pineheart followed Weaseltail through the dense pine trees of IceClan's territory. Lionpaw hopped after them, her eyes still alight with happiness. Pineheart could remember when he felt like that. As a small apprentice learning the territory, there was always something to be excited about. And always something new to explore, he thought to himself

His father had told him that before he was born, the forest had went through a great thaw. The ice and snow of the sacred pine forest had almost completely gone, and left marshy swamps and massive mud puddles in its place.

Now, the ground was thick once more with a layer of ice under a large blanket of snow. Despite the frigid conditions, the foliage still managed to thrive. There was plenty of thick bushes and grasses for prey to live and survive. IceClan rarely had to go hungry.

As they continued on through the seemingly endless forest of trees, Weaseltail came to a halt and turned to his apprentice. "Okay, Lionpaw. I just want to remind you that when we get to the border you must control yourself. Just because there isn't another Clan of cats next to us, doesn't mean you should cross the scent markers."

Lionpaw rolled her eyes. "I was only trying to catch that rabbit," she meowed.

Weaseltail flicked his tail and looked at her sternly. "But there's other creatures that hunt beyond our territory! If a fox or a badger were to find you, I'm sure they'd think you'd be an easy meal."

Lionpaw shuddered as she imagined coming face to face with a fox or a badger. "Now don't go and frighten her," Pineheart muttered. Weaseltail didn't seem to hear him as he turned to lead the way through the forest once more. Suddenly, a loud racket erupted behind the small patrol. Leaves rustled and twigs snapped with wild abandon. Weaseltail whirled around and started to move forward to shield Lionpaw behind him.

"Mousedung!" a cranky voice hissed from the depths of the spiky wildflower bush. Pineheart relaxed as he picked up a familiar scent that had been ignored in their surprise. He moved forward to help the entangled cat.

"Nightvolt, what are you doing out here?" Weaseltail called as Pineheart started to pull back the branches so that the tom could escape the vicious thorns. He squinted and tried to discern the dark pelted tom from the shadows under the bush. He noticed the elder's yellow eyes flash with contempt.

"I can get myself out," he growled as he tried to turn in the tight space to free himself. His gray tabby fur was riddled with thorns and sharp bits of twig. Pineheart ignored his ill tempered reply and pushed further into the bush to help. He could feel the thorns hook into his fur, stinging like claws. "I'm only here to help you," Pineheart soothed as he clenched his teeth when branches lashed his muzzle.

"I told you I don't need help," he retorted as he flicked out a paw to swipe at Pineheart. The whole bush shuddered as Nightvolt shifted and made the thorns dig further into his skin. Clumps of snow that were perched carefully on leaves thumped down to the ground around them.

Nightvolt immediately stopped his struggle and started to whimper with pain. Blood dripped from where the branches had dug into his fur. "Just stop fighting and let me help you," Pineheart grunted as he inched closer to the elder. Once he was close enough to inspect the knots, he noticed the tom was covered in scratches. All along his back, the thorns and branches were entangled with his gray and black striped fur.

"I'm going to have to bite through your fur," Pineheart murmured as he stepped even closer.

"What's going on in there?" Weaseltail asked as he stuck his nose through the bush's branches.

"You IceClan warriors are mouse brained," Nightvolt huffed as Weaseltail attempted to push his way through the outermost branches. Pineheart flicked his tail, surprised at Nightvolt's unwarranted attitude. All I'm trying to do is help you, he fumed.

"Last I checked, you were the one caught in a wildflower bush. I am also quite sure that you are an IceClan warrior just like us," Weaseltail grumbled.

Pineheart, meanwhile, had started to gnaw at Nightvolt's short tabby fur. After what felt like an eternity, he came undone and was free from the dreaded thorn bush. As soon as he felt the thorns disappear, he rushed forward to tear himself from the remaining branches.

Pineheart followed him. He didn't want to find himself also stuck in its spindly branches. Nightvolt stood a few paces away. He had turned his head to inspect his scuffed pelt.

"Are you alright?" Weaseltail asked as he stepped forward to sniff at his scratches. Lionpaw huddled close behind her mentor to watch from behind his tail, her eyes wide.

"I'm fine," he snapped, his yellow eyes flashed like fire. Lionpaw yelped, intimidated by the cranky elder. Weaseltail flicked his tail over her shoulders, not even remotely fooled by Nightvolt's bad temper.

"You don't have to worry about him. He's all yowls and no claws," Weaseltail assured her as he kept his gaze level with Nightvolt. Pineheart watched the exchange from a few steps away. He really thought Nightvolt needed to return to camp to have Brokensong tend to his injuries. But it looked like Weaseltail wasn't ready to leave.

"You should be more greatful to Pineheart! Without him, you could have been stuck in that bush all night," Weaseltail growled

"I don't need IceClan cats padding after me all the time! Just because I'm an elder doesn't mean I can't take care of myself," Nightvolt hissed in frustration. As he turned, Pineheart noticed that some of the lacerations close to his paws had grown an angry red.

How did he get scratched from the bush that close to his paws, he wondered. In his distraction, Weaseltail had stepped nose to nose with Nightvolt. His tail flicked back and forth as he spoke, "but you can't take care of yourself! If you would have stayed in camp with the other elders, you wouldn't have gotten stuck in that bush!"

Pineheart kept his mouth shut as he watched the exchange. It seemed like Weaseltail was unusually furious, but he didn't know why he would be so upset with the snappy elder. Nightvolt must have just wanted to leave camp and had some bad luck?

"Weaseltail, I think Nightvolt needs to go back to camp and see Brokensong," Lionpaw piped up as she nudged his flank with her nose. The elder opened his jaws for another rude retort but instead just turned and started to head back towards camp.

Weaseltail huffed and started to pad after him. Lionpaw sped after her mentor, her orange tail raised high over her back. "I guess Blizzardstar will have to send out another border patrol later," Pineheart muttered as he trudged after them.

Back in the safety of the camp, Nightvolt stomped over to Brokensong's den. Pineheart watched him go, but he felt mild curiousity as to what the medicine cat would think of his wounds.

They couldn't have all been from the thorn bush, he thought to himself. After Nightvolt vanished into the split rock, Pineheart glanced around the snowy clearing. He noticed Blizzardstar, who sat like a frozen statue next to his den.

"You know it's not polite to stare," a feminine voice teased from over his shoulder. He felt his fur ruffle in embarrassment as he turned to face the newcomer. It was a fluffy, orange she-cat; her eyes gleamed as she gazed at Pineheart.

"I was just looking for Frostfeather," Pineheart insisted. He tried to avoid her gaze as he looked down at his paws. Even though he had been a warrior for some time now, he was still somewhat shy around his adopted mother. She had always been there for him, after he and Frostfeather's mother was killed in the Great Battle.

"Well, Smallfire and I were just about to go out for a hunting patrol. If you'd like to join us, you're more than welcome," she purred. He thought about it for a moment, but after the ordeal with Weaseltail's patrol he decided he would just stay in camp. Besides, they would fare better without him.

"I'm sorry, Foxstreak. Maybe I can join you both on a patrol tomorrow," he offered. He dared to look up into her viridian eyes.

Despite her age, she still radiated energy and her pelt shined with health. She and her kit, Smallfire, would be perfectly fine on a patrol by themselves. Inwardly, Pineheart didn't really want to be around Foxsteak's only biological kit. Sure, they had grown up together. But Smallfire had always been greedy for his mother's affection. I'm sure he wouldn't thank me for intruding in their patrol, he thought inwardly.

Foxstreak almost looked ready to object, her eyes brimmed with disappointment. "Well, be sure to get some rest then. I'm sure Frostfeather had you awake before dawn," she meowed after several heartbeats. Before she turned to leave, she gave Pineheart a rough lick between his ears.

He watched her depart towards the camp entrance as Smallfire bounded up to join her. Jealousy burned like a hot coal in his stomach but he tried his best to ignore it. After all, he had said no.

While he was distracted, Blizzardstar had vanished back into the depths of his den. Pineheart narrowed his eyes as he tried to make out the shadowed shapes hunched inside the entrance of the hollow tree. It looked like Brokensong's brown and black spotted pelt in the darkness. Shouldn't she be in her den?

He fought his intense curiosity to creep forward to eavesdrop on the two cats. They had wanted to be alone for a reason. With a sigh, he turned to slink back towards the warrior's den.

A short nap wouldn't hurt anything, and when he awoke he was positive that he would find Frostfeather back in camp. As he started to make himself comfortable in the soft moss, he thought back to the events from earlier in the day.

It seemed so strange that Nightvolt had wandered into the forest by himself. It was even more strange that he seemed to have acquired angry, red scratches from even before he had gotten trapped in the bush. Maybe he's just clumsy. That could have been the third bush he had fallen in since he left camp. But he had been acting so prickly. It was quite unusual.

He let his thought wander as he started to fall into a fitful sleep.


	4. Chapter Three

Frostfeather had just started to drift into sleep. She had hunted all day with Hailstorm and Appleleaf, but hadn't managed to catch even a single scrap of prey. Now, she just wanted to get a good night's rest. As she felt her senses gently tug into unconscious, she could hear a faint rustle at the edge of the den. She grumbled softly and flicked her tail tip. "Do you really have to come to bed so late, Pineheart...?"

She opened her eyes and was surprised to find it was not her brother. The cozy warmth of her mossy nest had also dissapeared. She now lay in a field of soft grasses and flowers. Before her stood a calico she-cat with a star studded pelt. Her eyes sparkled with wisdom as she gazed down at Frostfeather.

"My sweet daughter, it is an honor to finally be able to come face to face with you," the calico purred. Her voice was soft and silky, like the freshest honey. Frostfeather stretched her eyes wide. She could hardly believe this could be possible.

"She seems a little shocked," a different female voice meowed from further into the tall grasses. Another she-cat stepped forward to confront Frostfeather, her fur dappled with orange and brown splotches.

Frostfeather opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out, she wasn't sure if this was real or just a really cruel dream. "Are you... are you Spottedrose?" she stammered, her heart hammered in her chest. She already knew the answer, it was quite easy to discern that this beautiful cat was her mother.

"Yes, my sweet kit. I have come to bring you a message, the first omen from our ancestors," she meowed seriously.

The other she-cat nodded, her voice grave as she continued, "troubling times are coming for all of IceClan."

The warmth that Frostfeather had felt as she first saw her mother had quickly faded to be replaced with dread. There was a dozen questions she wanted to ask, but all she could muster was three, short words. "But why me?"

Spottedrose leaned forward to push her nose in to Frostfeather's delicate shoulder fur. She felt her pelt tingle at her mother's touch, but the dread still clung hard to her limbs. "Your hard headed temperament may be the only hope for our Clanmates," the brown and orange she-cat mewed.

Spottedrose took a pawstep back and touched her tail to her companion's flank. "Not just her stubbornness, Lilybloom. I know you have felt the tug in your paws, to travel beyond the borders of our territory. In order for IceClan to survive, you must convince our Clanmates to leave the forest."

Leave the forest? Why would we need to leave the forest, Frostfeather thought in a panic. "But things have been so calm and peaceful in the forest," she began to object. But Spottedrose lifted her tail for silence.

"Yes there has been immeasurable peace for the forest and the animals that inhabit it. But nature is mighty and powerful. Its roots have run dry from the blood of our kin, and now it had begun to thirst." Such chilling words, but vague enough that Frostfeather wondered what they really meant.

While her mother spoke, Frostfeather saw a vivid vision flash before her eyes. She sat in the snow covered pine forest once more. The bushes rustled with prey all around her.

The longer she sat, unusual shadowed shapes flitted from the bushes to rush towards her. She could see flashes of red, bloodshot eyes; flecks of spit and foam spattered her legs as the figures nipped at her paws. She tried to pull away, to break away from the tiny creatures that bit and gnawed at her fur.

"It is not longer safe to stay," Spottedrose's voice echoed in her ears. It helped her snap out of the spooky vision. She quickly looked down at her paws, but there were no bite marks or drops of blood in sight.

"What were those things?" Frostfeather gasped as her fur started to bush up all along her spine. She just couldn't understand why this would happen, why they needed to tell this to her and not to someone important like Blizzardstar. What could she even begin to do to convince her Clanmates?

"Herbs and prey will no longer be enough to keep you alive... trust nothing!" Lilybloom urged. Frostfeather noticed that the bodies of the two she-cats had started to fade.

With a tiny wail, she rushed forward to confront Spottedrose. "Don't leave me!" she whimpered. Her eyes stared helplessly at her mother's translucent form.

"I will never leave you, my dear," she purred as her dream abruptly ended. She blinked open her eyes to find herself back in the warrior's den. Pineheart still slept peacefully at her side, his black pelt silky and smooth. She tried to calm the frantic beating of her heart.

There's no way that I just had an actual vision from StarClan, Frostfeather thought wildly. Her mind still whirled with confusion, her white fur spiked and her skin clammy. But that cat just had to be our mother, there's no other way. She was just as Blizzardstar had described her, just as everyone described her.

Fresh anxiety started to rush over her pelt. Her dream would have been much more enjoyable without the stress of an omen. An omen so vague, it made her head hurt to think about. But this much was clear, that IceClan must leave the forest. The idea made her feel suffocated, her lungs struggled for breath. Frostfeather managed to escape the den on silent paws. She looked up at the sky and discerned that it must be nearly dawn. Faint rays of light peeked from across the horizon to shine upon the surface of the snow-laden forest.

Now that she had left the confines of the warrior's den, she tried to let the chill air soothe her nerves. To her surprise, she saw a flash of white out of the corner of her eye. She turned and noticed that it was Blizzardstar. He must have just walked from the entrance of his den.

Maybe I should tell him about my dream, she thought hopefully. As she started to head towards him to go and speak with him, she watched in dismay as he turned and bounded towards Brokensong's den. She hesitated for a moment, not sure if she wanted to bother him if he wanted to speak in private with the medicine cat. I'm sure he wouldn't be too happy to listen to my mousebrained ramblings, she thought.

Just then, a faint noise caught her attention. It sounded like a cat in distress, but the voice was quiet and muffled. Frostfeather ran towards the darkness of Brokensong's den. She braced herself as she squeezed through the entrance, not exactly sure what she would find.

Blizzardstar whirled around as she appeared, his eyes wide. "Frostfeather! What are you doing here?" he demanded. Brokensong was bent over one of the nearby nests, but her attention on her patient had not faltered with the sudden commotion.

Frostfeather peered around her father's shoulder and caught sight of Nightvolt's gray tabby pelt stretched across a bed of moss. His flank steadily rose and fell with the calm rhythm of sleep, but his breaths were punctuated with sharp yelps of pain. The air was punctuated with the scent of infection.

"What happened to Nightvolt?" she gasped as she pushed passed Blizzardstar to get closer to the elder. Brokensong held up her tail in the attempt to keep Frostfeather away from the edges of Nightvolt's nest.

"You still haven't told me what you're doing here," Blizzardstar ordered, his eyes narrowed as he came to block Frostfeather's advances. She shuffled her paws and tried to claw together a believable excuse. Either way, he was bound to be angry at her.

"I just had a bad dream... I think I might just have had some bad prey. I wanted to see if I could get anything from Brokensong," she claimed. She hoped that he would believe her. That's not entirely a lie, she tried to convince herself.

"It's best you stay back," Brokensong murmured, "Nightvolt has developed a fever rather quickly and I'm not quite sure what has caused it."

Frostfeather's heart pricked with sympathy for the elder. It was always hard for the oldest and youngest of the Clan to get sick, they didn't always recover. "Yes, maybe it would be best for you to return to your den," Blizzardstar insisted as he started to shoulder Frostfeather away from Nightvolt's nest.

Deep down, she knew she had to obey Blizzardstar. Despite that he was being overly protective, she knew that he would be upset if she caught some kind of sickness being reckless. Before she allowed herself to be herded from the den, she turned to take one last look at the elder's slumped form. But something she saw was enough to make her fur feel as cold as ice.

Are those... bite marks? All over Nightvolt's paws and legs, there were angry red bite marks covered in puss. She flashed back to her vision and thought of the horrible burning sensation she had felt as the shadowy creatures gnawed on her pelt. She stumbled as Blizzardstar once more tried to urge her towards the den entrance. "You can check on Nightvolt after his fever has come down," he grunted in frustration.

She let Blizzardstar escort her from the den. She could feel dread swamp over her once more. "Just wait, one second please," she pleaded as he started to pad away, back towards his den.

As he turned around to look at her, she saw urgency flash in his blue eyes. "What is it? Is something wrong?" he asked, his protective demeanor instantly overtook him. Should I really tell him about the dream? He's already so high strung as it is...

"I... I just wanted to ask... who is Lilybloom?" she asked. To her relief, he seemed to relax slightly at her simple question.

"Oh, were the elders telling you about her? Back when BreezeClan were still living in the forest, Lilybloom was their medicine cat. She was actually Spottedrose's mother, meaning that she is your kin," he explained.

"Oh, I never knew that..." Frostfeather muttered. All she was ever told was that Oakstar was Spottedrose's father. She had never stopped to think who her mother might have been. But, despite her ignorance, her kin still watched over her from StarClan.

"Now that I've answered your question, can you listen to me just this once and return to your nest? You look as if you haven't gotten a wink of sleep," he demanded, concern thick in his voice.

She dipped her head and meowed softly, "yes, Blizzardstar." Before she turned to leave, he padded back to her side and brushed his muzzle along her cheek. A weak purr vibrated in his chest.

"You know I just want what's best for you," he murmured, his voice cracked with emotion. Frostfeather felt herself lean into his soft fur, their white pelts merged together like a blanket of snow.

"I know," she whispered. After a few more uninterrupted moments, Blizzardstar stepped away and returned to the darkness of his den. Frostfeather stared after him and wished she could confide in him about her dream. But she wasn't sure what it would do to him, with the anxiety he already had.

"Maybe it really was just a dream," she muttered as she padded back to the warrior's den. By now, the sun had begun to rise and the other cats had got up for the day's patrols.

"Are you only just now going to sleep?" Hailstorm snorted as he appeared from under the branches of the den.

"I had a bellyache... Blizzardstar told me to return to my nest," she replied. She didn't want him to scrutinize her, especially now that her mind was weighted with the burden of this strange dream.

"Well, I hope you feel better soon," he remarked before he turned to go and organize the daily patrols. She was relieved that he didn't question her further. Before anyone else could stop her, she slid back into the stuffy den.

"Where have you been?" Pineheart asked cheekily. Of course he hasn't left his nest yet, she thought to herself.

"Don't worry about it," she retorted as she started to curl up in her nest. She didn't need to justify herself to him, or any other cat. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and forget all about this stressful dream.

She heard Pineheart snort, "whatever."

She tried to ignore him as he blatantly made as much noise as he could getting out of his nest. "I guess I'll just go and catch all the prey in the forest while you're sleeping," he puffed before he ducked under the den entrance and vanished into the camp. She wanted to yowl after him, but remained silent.

The prey... the prey is no longer safe; she could hear a faint voice in the back of her mind. She wanted to hold on to those words for as long as she could. But she was utterly exhausted, and as fast as she had closed her eyes, she fell into a deep, undisturbed sleep.


	5. Chapter Four

Frostfeather had been startled awake, her senses alert. It had been several days since her strange dream, and she still tried her best not to forget. Deep down, she was positive that she wasn't meant to forget. She narrowed her eyes as she gazed around the pitch black den. It must still be dark, the sky would be shrouded and studded with stars if she could see through the thick branches of the den. Then she heard what had woken her.

That sounds like Nightvolt, she thought as a low wail drifted to her ears. The noise didn't seem to have woke any of the other warriors, they were all still fast asleep. With a short sigh, she got to her paws and picked her way out of the den. The air was crisp with cold against her muzzle as she made her way across the camp clearing. With every step, Nightvolt's wails became louder.

Frostfeather poked her white snout into the den, wary of what she may find. "Brokensong, is everything alright?" her tone shook with a frightful tremor. It sounds as though Nightvolt is in a lot of pain, she thought. The medicine cat did not answer right away. After a few moments of silence, Brokensong leaped out of the crevice in the rock and came to stand beside Frostfeather. Her fur was ruffled and covered in shreds of herbs.

"You shouldn't be here," Brokensong stated abruptly, her tone harsh. Frostfeather flinched at her words, her eyes growing wide. Why shouldn't I be here? A frosty chill swept up her spine, her anxieties flared anew.

"I just wanted to come see what was wrong with Nightvolt..." she explained. It felt like she had been scolded like a troublesome kit.

"Nightvolt is very sick," Brokensong rasped as she shook her head, "you mustn't get close to him. No one should." Frostfeather felt completely baffled at what Brokensong had said. Surely Nightvolt hadn't caught greencough?

Suddenly, the elder's distressed wails had changed to an angry growl. The fur all along Frostfeather's back started to stand on end. She glanced at Brokensong and saw that her face was frozen with horror. "What's happening?" Frostfeather asked. She didn't take her eyes off of the one-eyed she-cat.

Without any indication, a dark shape exploded from the mouth of the medicine den. Claws and teeth flashed in the moonlight as the attacker fell upon Brokensong. Its eyes were wild and filled with hate, it seemed like the entire forest was filled with the intense sound of slaughter.

"No! Someone help!" Frostfeather yowled as she attempted to grab a hold of the dark shape on top of Brokensong. At her touch, the face of the attacker turned to look at her. She was shocked to find herself stare into unfocused, crazed yellow eyes. It was Nightvolt.

Frostfeather jolted awake for the second time. Her fur was hot and sweaty and it stuck to her skin like a layer of cobweb. Her breaths came in rapid gulps, her heart slammed in her chest. Did that really just happen?

It was still the dead of night as she exited the den for what felt like the second time. But there wasn't even a whisper to disturb the silence. Nothing moved at the mouth of Brokensong's den. Frostfeather felt foolish, to allow herself to become so frightened from a bad dream. You're not a kit anymore, she reminded herself.

Even though she knew that the camp was safe, she was aware that she would not be able to go back to sleep. Her nerves still shook like a leaf trapped in a storm. She wrapped her tail close to her side and sat down in the sparse grass outside the warrior's den. The light cover of snow melted at her touch and made the tips of her paws and tail damp.

With a deep breath, she stared up at the clear night sky. The stars danced with a magnificent light. It helped make her feel just a bit more relaxed after her dreadful dream encounter. She hadn't sat there for long before she eventually did hear something move inside the medicine den. She sat alert and glared hard at the entrance. She hoped she could make something out in the night's darkness. To her relief, it was just Brokensong.

As the brown and black she-cat gracefully leaped out of the entrance, Frostfeather trotted over to greet her. "Hey Brokensong! I thought I would have been the only one awake at this time of night," she purred. As Frostfeather looked closer at the medicine cat's features, she noticed that her face was creased with worry. This made Frostfeather's stomach clench with foreboding.

"Yes, it is rather late. I just had a bad dream and was hoping to get some air," she mumbled. Frostfeather noticed her ruffled fur and the twitch of her tail at every small sound from out in the forest. Brokensong didn't scare easily, whatever must have startled her must have been serious. I'm sure my worries are nothing compared to hers, she told herself.

But now Brokensong had turned her attention to Frostfeather. She tilted her head slightly and her nostrils flared as she took a sharp intake of breath. "What brings you out so late?" she inquired. Inwardly, Frostfeather wondered just how much she should explain to her. After all, it had been a rather troubling dream. And it had involved Brokensong, as she was slaughtered by Nightvolt.

"I also had a bad dream," she replied. But it did really feel like it was actually happening, like it wasn't a dream, she recalled. The stench of blood still lingered in her nose. Her heart skipped with terror as a flash of psychotic yellow eyes filled her mind.

"What kind of bad dream?" Brokensong insisted. Frostfeather was surprised to find her voice tinged with curiosity. Maybe I should tell her about the dream.

"Well... it started out that I heard Nightvolt in your den. He sounded very distressed and in pain, so I came out to come and check things out," she began, "as I got closer, you came out to meet me. You told me that I shouldn't be there, and that I mustn't get close to him."

Brokensong had grown very still while Frostfeather retold the events of her dream. Her eyes were wide and serious as she continued. "All of a sudden, I could hear growling and then Nightvolt attacked you!" She could feel her heart start to race faster as she got to the worst part of her nightmare. She could remember so vividly, the flash of his claws as he tore at Brokensong. The harsh yellow venom of his eyes filled her vision as he whirled around to gaze into her stunned face.

"I think we need to consult Blizzardstar," Brokensong stated simply, her voice low. Frostfeather held back a gasp. Blizzardstar didn't have time to soothe her from her nightmares. She was a warrior, and that meant that she shouldn't run to her father every time she was frightened.

"What? Why would we need to tell him about some nightmare I had?" she asked, baffled. Brokensong had a very distressed look on her face, her eyes darted around the clearing as she turned to pad to Blizzardstar's den. She's hiding something from me, she deduced after a few moments of icy silence.

"We should tell him because I had almost the exact same dream. The only difference is that instead of me being attacked, I saw my old mentor, Tinypool. She told me that I needed to escape, and that we couldn't be here. That was right before Nightvolt ripped her throat out..." her voice cracked on the last couple of words. Her eyes reflected immense pain and sadness. Frostfeather knew that Brokensong still cared for her old, dead mentor. So that's why she's acting so spooked, Frostfeather reflected.

"What do you think that means?" Frostfeather wondered as she started to follow Brokensong to her father's den. The night was still enveloped in a eerie calm. Crickets chirped from their perches in the foliage that surrounded the camp.

"I'm not sure," she whispered, "but I do know that whatever will happen, it will be at the paws of Nightvolt."

Frostfeather shuffled her paws. She wondered how it was possible for an elder to cause any kind of harm. All her life, Nightvolt never seemed to cause trouble. She had heard stories about when he was a BreezeClan cat, but that was many moons ago. Nightvolt is an IceClan cat now, she thought, surely he wouldn't want to hurt us?

Brokensong stood at the tall hole in the rotten, toppled tree trunk that Blizzardstar called his den. With a soft meow, she padded through the entrance and vanished from sight. Frostfeather hesitated before she also padded inside, not sure of what she would say to Blizzardstar about her dream. This is just all so strange.

"Welcome, Frostfeather," he purred as she came to sit beside Brokensong in front of him. "Brokensong seems to think that you two may have shared a prophesied dream," he remarked. His eyes were gentle, perhaps hoping to ease her visible anxiety.

She opened her mouth to reply, but only nodded her head. It felt awkward to talk to him about this strange matter. "Yes, we both had a dream that Nightvolt turned savage and attacked," Brokensong cut in. She must have realized that Frostfeather was reluctant to speak in the stern presence of her father.

"Nightvolt turning savage? But the forest has been peaceful for so long. I don't think that even he would want to break the serenity," Blizzardstar grunted. He turned to Frostfeather, his blue eyes narrowed in thought. "Is this really what you saw in your dream?" he demanded. He almost sounded displeased, like they might be making it up.

"Yes," she admitted. Her voice came out like a squeak, wound tight from her increased anxiety. Blizzardstar's features softened once more. He must have noticed how much this nightmare had effected his daughter.

He turned back to Brokensong, "what do you think this dream means?"

To Frostfeather's dismay, all Brokensong did was shrug. "I can not be sure what this dream means," she meowed softly, "all I am certain of is that Nightvolt could be dangerous."

"I could never imagine that one of our elders would be dangerous. But I can't deny that your dreams were not a coincidence," Blizzardstar remarked.

Brokensong lifted up a paw and pointed to her missing eye, "I know that all BreezeClan cats were once dangerous," she hissed. Her abrupt change of tone shocked Frostfeather. Had a BreezeClan cat been the cause of Brokensong's missing eye?

Blizzardstar gasped with shock at his medicine cat. "We are all IceClan now! I will not listen to these mousebrained ramblings about my warriors," he growled, "now, go back to your dens and get some rest. You both must have had some crowfood to have had such wild dreams."

Frostfeather's jaw dropped. Wild dreams? He had just said that hey clearly couldn't have been a coincidence! She looked desperately to Brokensong in the hopes she would object. The medicine cat's eye glittered with rage, but she didn't think it was about his comment towards their dreams.

"Those BreezeClan cats would have been better off dead in the forest," she snarled over her shoulder before she whirled around and exited the den. Frostfeather was left alone with her father. She could see that her father's whiskers quivered with rage.

"Why would Brokensong say those things about our Clanmates?" she asked, her voice thick with confusion. Blizzardstar turned away from her to face the back of his den. It felt like a wall of ice had formed between them.

"Brokensong has had a lot of misfortune at the paws of BreezeClan cats," he explained, "she lets her anger control her."

"But..." Frostfeather began to object. She had never known Brokensong to have anger. There seemed to be a lot that Frostfeather didn't know about her Clanmates. But Blizzardstar held up his tail for silence. He turned back towards her, his blue eyes dark with untold secrets that swam just beneath the surface. "Just go back to your nest. I'm positive that Nightvolt is not a threat," he soothed, his face an emotionless mask.

She knew there was no point to try and argue. StarClan would need to wait a bit longer before she could attempt to convince him to leave the forest. Frostfeather dipped her head and turned to leave. As she padded out of Blizzardstar's den and crossed the clearing, she could hear a faint voice in the medicine den.

"But my head just won't stop hurting," the male voice complained. That's Nightvolt.

"Just take this ginger leaf and go back to sleep," that was Brokensong's soft feminine tone. Her earlier aggression had evaporated. She sounded like the same gentle medicine cat that Frostfeather had known her to be.

Everything sounds normal, she decided before she picked up her pace and pushed her way back under the warrior den's sweeping branches. She glanced at all of her Clanmates as they slept around her. The familiarity of her home helped to soothe her anxieties. And everything will stay normal, I hope.


End file.
